Lucky Stand Stolen, Public Property Ugh

[Meat Manager]

5:30 AM I made a perfect 200 yd uphill up-creek approach to my best public stand, I've harvested 6 deer (2 good bucks) in 3 years from this stand including my nice 8 last Sunday. When I got to my tree this morning the stand and single ladder stick at the very top were gone. It had been locked and 15 ft in the air, I pack 2 ladder sticks in and out with me.

 

I was pissed, so I went home...I am still pissed.  It's not about the money or the deer opportunity lost this morning...I've harvested 4 this season and I'd gladly give up a $39 hang-on for those results every season.

 

It's about the fact that this is a good hunting spot, but I have actually been pushed away from gun hunting it by other idiot hunters, and now I feel as if I should just totally stop hunting public land around here and just focus on my lease and getting permission to hunt private elsewhere.

 

The worst part of all is that I kind of like the small group of guys that hunt this little county parcel in archery...however I also know that I am one of the only guys that consistently harvest multiple deer there.  So now I am left wondering whether this was a random theft or some jealous jerk.  Again it was 15 ft up and locked, seems like it may have taken a little forethought.

 

The thing is I love hunting on public property, with a climber and some good intuition you can bag an animal at a place you've never hunted anywhere near before...and then when you find a good repeat kill spot, it feels like you really know what your doing.  

 

Also there is plenty of it, so when stuff isn't working out at one place (like my lease where it has been feast or famine with 300 acres of corn still standing near by)...you can easily try somewhere totally different.  But crap like this reminds me that not only is my gear not safe, but during gun season neither am I. 

Edited November 9, 2013 by Meat Manager

[NFA-ADK]

That sucks.  Public land can be frustrating.  Good luck!  Hope you get your stand back. 

[Cabin Fever]

Sorry to hear! That sucks! I hope they go to use that stolen stand and..... well, they learn their lesson....

[Meat Manager]

Sorry to hear! That sucks! I hope they go to use that stolen stand and..... well, they learn their lesson....

 

 

I was actually just thinking yesterday how I was going to have to pull that stand and check all the hardware this offseason.  I hope they are as thorough with maintenance as they were with their pilfering...

 

Like I said I buy cheap stands so they don't burn so bad when they get ripped off, but my lucky brother helped me set this stand and it rubbed off...and I just keep thinking its one of the guys it probably isn't which also bums me out that I would mentally accuse otherwise nice dudes.

[ididnotvoteforobama]

It all comes down to morals and family /social values. My father taught me to respect other peoples property whether it was the land or a stand left in a tree. They got there first so leave them alone.

 Last year , opening day,  I had a stand on public land that , I had put up a few weeks earlier but didn't bowhunt it due to weather , wind etc. Well I drive to the spot and there is a truck parked there , still 2 hrs before light.  Head in , get close to the stand .I see a flashlight moving around up in the stand . I'm  pissed to say the least. Later that day, at dark , I'm at my truck and the owner of the other truck comes out. We talk , he tells about a nice buck he saw . Then I ask him about his spot. Come to find out it was my stand, I describe it etc.  He apologizes and asks me why I didn't kick him out. Told him about how I was brought up . He felt bad , apologized, and told me he won't come back because it was my stand .  Needless to say , i never saw a nice buck to shoot but did take a doe from that stand . That's just me and who I am.

[Early]

Isn't it against the law to leave a stand on public property?  Maybe the law took it.

[BUCKANDAQUARTER]

 

I was actually just thinking yesterday how I was going to have to pull that stand and check all the hardware this offseason.  I hope they are as thorough with maintenance as they were with their pilfering...

 

Like I said I buy cheap stands so they don't burn so bad when they get ripped off, but my lucky brother helped me set this stand and it rubbed off...and I just keep thinking its one of the guys it probably isn't which also bums me out that I would mentally accuse otherwise nice dudes.

 

 

Tough deal man. Assumptions aren't worth while! It can be hard to apply that on any scale, I know. I don't know how many times I assumed that a certain person, or persons, were responsible for something only to find out it wasn't them. Then I end up feeling guilty. I had a shotgun stolen last year, and I was dead certain it was a neighbor. I confronted a friend who lived with the neighbor and said no it wasn't so-and-so, but I didn't believe him either. Well the sheriffs recovered the gun when they busted this other guy who was breaking in to places all over the county. It was actually a different neighbor. And I had a tree stand stolen at the end of last season, and I immediately started thinking of whom it could be. Well I ran into one of the guys that hunts the land and came to mind when I was assuming who could have done it. I told him about the theft and he was genuinely bummed, again I felt guilty. He has invited me over to shoot guns on his range and bore site a new scope I am getting. I just pack my climber in and out with me. I bought pretty much the lightest one I could find, but it still sucks not feeling comfortable leaving anything behind, and having to pack in and out. Your case does sound very premeditated to me, seeing as how they needed to cut a lock  and be able to reach your climbing sticks.

[Meat Manager]

Isn't it against the law to leave a stand on public property?  Maybe the law took it.

 

Not during the season, technically they should be removed in between seasons, but there are stands as old as Betty White on that county parcel..I also leave a tag with my DOC# attached as is required.

Edited November 9, 2013 by Meat Manager

[Meat Manager]

Tough deal man. Assumptions aren't worth while! It can be hard to apply that on any scale, I know. I don't know how many times I assumed that a certain person, or persons, were responsible for something only to find out it wasn't them. Then I end up feeling guilty. I had a shotgun stolen last year, and I was dead certain it was a neighbor. I confronted a friend who lived with the neighbor and said no it wasn't so-and-so, but I didn't believe him either. Well the sheriffs recovered the gun when they busted this other guy who was breaking in to places all over the county. It was actually a different neighbor. And I had a tree stand stolen at the end of last season, and I immediately started thinking of whom it could be. Well I ran into one of the guys that hunts the land and came to mind when I was assuming who could have done it. I told him about the theft and he was genuinely bummed, again I felt guilty. He has invited me over to shoot guns on his range and bore site a new scope I am getting. I just pack my climber in and out with me. I bought pretty much the lightest one I could find, but it still sucks not feeling comfortable leaving anything behind, and having to pack in and out. Your case does sound very premeditated to me, seeing as how they needed to cut a lock  and be able to reach your climbing sticks.

 

This is exactly how I feel and exactly why it burns...I don't want to accuse, but my mind will go, and that stand was 15ft up and locked...

 

But I do have a small climber that I used to rely on in public land until I got comfortable with a couple spots for hang-ons.  I also found that people like to follow my reflective markers and put their ladder stands where I use my climber, which besides convienience was the reason I started using hang-ons to mark my spot.

 

Seems to come down to some people are awesome, but most seem to be jerks.

Edited November 9, 2013 by Meat Manager

[Early]

A few years back, the Ranger that patrols the local WMA removed five hang-on stands in one day. Those who had left their name/address on the stand got summoned to court. Others just lost their stands. Now, I know WMA rules state that no personal property can be left behind on State land....might be different elsewhere.

[burmjohn]

A few years back, the Ranger that patrols the local WMA removed five hang-on stands in one day. Those who had left their name/address on the stand got summoned to court. Others just lost their stands. Now, I know WMA rules state that no personal property can be left behind on State land....might be different elsewhere.

Sounds like another upstanding officer.

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[Meat Manager]

A few years back, the Ranger that patrols the local WMA removed five hang-on stands in one day. Those who had left their name/address on the stand got summoned to court. Others just lost their stands. Now, I know WMA rules state that no personal property can be left behind on State land....might be different elsewhere.

 

Just called the Officers at Highland Forest which oversees the County Parcel I hunt, Stands are allowed and they have not and do not remove Treestands.

[BUCKANDAQUARTER]

I'd pull the reflective markers, some dudes can't stand it when they see someone "squatting" on a spot. You did the work for them with the markers and they can reap the benefits of your efforts, unfortunately. I too follow the old school philosophy that if someone is in the area leave them the hell alone. Too bad others can't play nice and follow this philosophy!

[Meat Manager]

Yeah well, I'm not letting this keep me down.

 

For this weekend I was planning on two more hunts out of that tree before I call it quits there for gun season.

 

I'm sticking with that plan and I'm taking my climber in this afternoon, and I'll lock it on there with a master lock snake cable lock when I leave this evening and then hunt it again tomorrow morning and pack it back out.

 

If the hunting gods are with me I'll fill this last 7J tag with deer #5 this weekend thieves be damned!

 

 

Edited November 9, 2013 by Meat Manager

[erussell]

Thats why you have to get a little evil on state land and move hunters away from your spots. I go to the other side of the state land along the road and make a bunch of big scrapes and put hoof marks in them from an old deer hoof gun rack I bought just for the occasion. Then dont get caught but make some massive rubs on trees within view of the road.  Hunters will flock to it and you will be alone in the woods on your side of the land

[azhuntress]

A couple of years ago someone stole a stand somewhere in the county in which I live. I read about it in the newspaper under the "Reader's Speaks" section. The person who had their stand stolen wrote a letter telling how his stand was stolen and how he had a

trail camera with 7 clear pictures of the guy who stole it. He told the guy "if you

leave my tree stand at such and such a place on this certain date then I will destroy

the pictures and forgive you. But if I don't get my tree stand back I will take these

pictures to the police." About a week later the guy writes back in the "Reader's

Speaks" section and thanks the guy for returning his tree stand and said the he

destroyed the pictures.

Now that was pretty funny! I bet the guy who stole the stand will think twice the next

time he thinks he will steal another one.

[cdmckane]

Why do people still leave stuff unattended on public property? We all know the world is full of scumbags who think they're entitled to whatever they want. Why tempt them? Unless it's my land or my in law's, I don't leave anything behind when I leave.

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[dirt_a_KISS]

Thats why you have to get a little evil on state land and move hunters away from your spots. I go to the other side of the state land along the road and make a bunch of big scrapes and put hoof marks in them from an old deer hoof gun rack I bought just for the occasion. Then dont get caught but make some massive rubs on trees within view of the road. Hunters will flock to it and you will be alone in the woods on your side of the land

Holy cow thats a smart idea to do lol!!

[drakester308]

So how did you manage to harvest 4 deer already

[Meat Manager]

So how did you manage to harvest 4 deer already

Here is the report: Meat Manager 2013 Archery Report

 

1. Preseason Practice to the point of needing strings changed on a 3 month old bow in July...followed by good Preseason Scouting.

2. Early Hunting in NJ (Sept 15-19) helped me knock the rust off early.

3. Having Multiple Places to Hunt

4. Ranging landmarks at each stand so that I was confident of all possible shot distances.

5. Hunting as many 3-5 hour AM or PM sessions as my wife/20-month old son would allow.

6. Shooting a button and 2 big mature does in the first 3 weeks had me automatic for the nice thick 8 pt. last Sunday...I always get my license and tags as soon as they are available.

7. Switching to Rage 2 Blades

8. 6 years of extremely dedicated archery experience...the first 3 years I hunted nearly everyday in my home WMU 7J...thus my HNY handle used to be 7J Everyday, but now I hunt in several places and probably about every 3 days on average...thus the new handle Meat Manager.

Edited November 10, 2013 by Meat Manager

[CuseHunter]

That sucks man, hate to hear about all the theft in the woods of recent.

[CuseHunter]

Here is the report: Meat Manager 2013 Archery Report

1. Preseason Practice to the point of needing strings changed on a 3 month old bow in July...followed by good Preseason Scouting.

2. Early Hunting in NJ (Sept 15-19) helped me knock the rust off early.

3. Having Multiple Places to Hunt

4. Ranging landmarks at each stand so that I was confident of all possible shot distances.

5. Hunting as many 3-5 hour AM or PM sessions as my wife/20-month old son would allow.

6. Shooting a button and 2 big mature does in the first 3 weeks had me automatic for the nice thick 8 pt. last Sunday...I always get my license and tags as soon as they are available.

7. Switching to Rage 2 Blades

8. 6 years of extremely dedicated archery experience...the first 3 years I hunted nearly everyday in my home WMU 7J...thus my HNY handle used to be 7J Everyday, but now I hunt in several places and probably about every 3 days on average...thus the new handle Meat Manager.

7j and 7f public land is hard to hunt from what I've heard. I'm from syracuse and plan on doing some scouting next off season in the three rivers wmu.

[cdmckane]

I hunt 7J, Bear Swamp and Summerhill State Forests during the week in regular season and ML season. It's not hard to hunt, it's just crowded during regular season

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[bowslinger]

hunt 7j summer hill not many in there during bow gun season is crowed but still find spots not many people there stands are stoling off privite land too had may stand stole off friends land 2 years a go

[CuseHunter]

There is some hope still for my to find a public spot near me...